The accumulation of sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel poses a substantial environmental threat that has led to the development of a variety of treatment procedures. One such treatment applies an electrometallurgical process to recover low-enriched uranium and convert radioactive fission products into acceptable waste forms. This treatment utilizes uranium chloride as an oxidizing agent to convert sodium, actinides, and fission products into their corresponding chloride salts.
A supply of uranium chloride is therefore necessary for the continued electrometallurgical treatment of sodium-bonded spent nuclear fuel. However, existing methods of production do not satisfy this requirement because of their reliance upon special equipment, hazardous chemicals, and subsequent purification steps. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,262, issued to Miller and Tomczuk, discloses a method for making uranium chloride salt in a cadmium system using cadmium chloride to oxidize uranium. However, implementation of that method requires special handling and disposal procedures because of its use of cadmium, which is a regulated metal. Moreover, it requires additional equipment and involves the handling of chlorine gas, which poses additional risk. Thus, a method to produce uranium chloride of sufficient purity without hazardous chemicals or additional equipment would be beneficial.